The Edge of my Skin
by Weskette
Summary: Peridot never wanted to stay on earth, but now she's stuck and her gem is cracked. So she takes the only help she can get: the human that found her. She's determined to stay focused and get home, but finds herself wanting to learn more about the world she's fallen into. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Will satisfaction bring Peridot back?
1. Crash Landing

**So. I've made a huge mistake. I've gotten attached to Peridot. And then I spent forty minutes in the middle of the night messaging a friend a hypothetical redemption arc for my precious green wife. And this friend had the lovely idea of saying to me "You should write it!" (Now this was before Steven found Peridot's escape pod.)**

**So I started to write it. And here is chapter one.**

**I'm usually pretty iffy on having any story focused on an OC, but Peridot needs someone to help her find redemption.**

**Also, until Peridot is actually used to humans, much of the comparisons when the focus is on her will only be things she's familiar with.**

* * *

**_"One cannot undo what has happened. But the inexorable march of time offers  
the wise opportunities for redemption. I entreat you, do not escape.  
Stay in this world and do your karma."  
― Amish Tripathi, The Oath of the Vayuputras_**

Peridot let out a scream of rage. "I-" she thrashed to the side "-hate-" she pressed out against her bonds with her elbows "-those-" she threw herself back "-gems!" The whip around her did anything but loosen. In fact, it felt much more like it has constricted further around her.

She pushed the thought of her bonds aside and focused on her command console. She was falling and falling fast. Her escape pod was durable, but she would much rather have control of it as it careened toward the upper part of one of earth's larger land masses. By her estimates-which were rarely wrong-she had about thirty seconds before she hit the ground. She already knew it would not be with a splat. Her physical construct was much more metallic than fleshy. She was much more worried about the possible "crack" that could come with a gem's fall.

She managed to get a finger free, but it was a hard time getting it to the control screen when she can't maintain her balance. Mentally, she's screaming at that gem, that Amethyst, to take her whip back. But down to fifteen seconds left in her fall, she needed to figure something out, or she might end up going back to her gem. Her physical construct was hardy, but this was a crash at a speed impossible to avoid damage.

She fell back again and did her best to get a second finger out of her binds.

Ten seconds left.

Peridot wormed her way over to the control screen. It was mere seconds ticking down and she just managed to get a finger into the control screen. Data streams flood her eyes but it was pointless.

She crashed.

* * *

Ellie was tired. It was one of those rare nights she had where nightmares or otherwise wake her. It was got to be nearly three in the morning, but she found herself not caring. It was a beautiful night out, and sitting on her deck with a cup of tea was relaxing. Made even more so by the presence of her cat on her lap, a slim tuxedo with golden eyes. Ellie didn't have work the next day, so she wasn't too worried about being up so late.

Stars twinkled in the distance and she felt utterly at peace.

Until a flash lit up the sky, bright as day. Her cat hissed, digging claws into Ellie's thighs and sprinting back into the house. Ellie swore, her tea spilled onto her lap, and her fresh cat scratches sting and protest her movement. There was a boom in the distance.

"Okay. That definitely wasn't a star," she stated in a somewhat incredulous manner, eyes trained on the smoke rising in the distance. She continued to stare, mind slowly going over what just happened. She sighed. "If Men in Black has taught me anything, I'm going to die or become an agent if I go check that out…" She looked down at her ripped, tea soaked jeans. "I should probably change my pants first."

She headed inside, glancing at her cat hiding behind the couch. It was a fairly small house. The entrance was between the living room and the kitchen, with no dining room to speak of. Instead there was a small table to the side in the kitchen with three chairs at it. It was rare for her to use more than her usual chair. Next to the table was the pantry door and inside, besides her horde of different foods, was a door to the basement. Past the living room and down the hall was where she was headed. Her room was fairly small, but contained enough room for a dresser, a full size bed, and small book shelf. A hamper sat nestled in next to the closet and held her dirty clothes.

Ellie dug into the dresser and found a fresh pair of jeans, quickly stripping off the old ones and tossing them in the hamper. She slipped on her new ones, grabbed a back pack, threw a few "just in case" supplies in (a couple bottles of water, a map of the area, and an extra flashlight). Her main flashlight sat in her hand.

She bit her lip as she returned to the front door. "Well, at least it's something exciting."

She stepped outside, moved across the deck to the small set of stairs leading down the back. Smoke still rose in the distance, so she took her map from her backpack, put a star where her house was and an arrow towards where she thought the smoke was. After stuffing it back in her back pack, she headed out.

Ellie lived fairly far into the woods, so it was a bit of a hike. She wasn't too worried about any larger wild animals, as they didn't show up too often around her house, except for the occasional deer. Years had passed since she had seen a moose around.

For the most part, the walk was peaceful—until a deer scared the shit out of her and she had to take a minute to find her breath again. But her walk continued after that, completely bear and moose free. It was a good hour until she started smelling smoke. Another five minutes after that, she found it.

A decent sized crater sat in the ground and bits of metal laid here and there. She noticed that every bit was green and wonders why. She honestly didn't remember seeing anything like it before. There was no sign that anything survived the crash, as nothing moved but a breeze through the trees. Half embedded in the soil in the center of the crater, she found what seemed to be a cockpit. There wasn't evidence of anything- alive or otherwise- there either.

Ellie stood, wondering if this could have been an elaborate stunt someone tried for some decent "UFO" photographs. But, looking at the twisted bits of… of whatever had crashed, she doubted someone would waste what seemed to be good material on something so meagre.

"Hello?" she tried. "Is anyone here?"

No reply.

So she took a slow walk around the crash, trying to find any clue to why it happened. A glimmer caught her eye under some ferns a small distance from the cockpit. She pushed the undergrowth back to find… Well, she wasn't sure what it is. It was triangular in shape, with softer corners and some thickness to it. Its entirety was a soft green colour. She bent and picked it off the ground. It was warm to the touch, as though it held something more, but besides that, it appeared to be a fairly average, though well cut, gemstone. Turning it over, she noticed a hairline crack in it. "I guess this was in whatever crashed," she murmured before slipping it into her pocket.

Ellie marked the area on her map, and turned back. "I'll be able to see better tomorrow," she hummed.

She moved on back towards her house. It began to rain as she walked back in the door, and she dropped her backpack on the couch before locking it behind her. She set the gemstone on the table, a reminder to take some sort of further action about the crash, and hung her jacket on the back of the chair.

If she was tired before, she was exhausted after all that walking. She stripped, set an alarm on her phone and fell into bed. She was asleep in seconds.

The next morning she woke up - eventually - after hitting snooze once or twice, and only because her cat had been meowing at her for food since the first snooze. "Alright, alright, Mochi. Calm down, I'll get you your breakfast." She threw on some clothing- shorts, a bra, and a loose flannel shirt.

She fed her cat, mocking his meows the whole while. She then put together her own breakfast: a bowl of cereal. As she moved to sit, she spotted the gem on the table.

"I wonder if I should report that crash," she spoke aloud to herself. She took a bite of cereal and chuckled. "Maybe it's an alien ship that was supposed to get rid of this thing for whatever reason. Or maybe it's a failed weapon that was supposed to detonate on landing and I just brought the most dangerous piece inside." She shrugged and finished her breakfast, eyes still examining the stone before her. It hadn't moved in the night, but she noticed, as she looked at it, that it was getting brighter. She reached out to touch it and jerked her hand back. It was burning hot. She stumbled out of her chair, backing away as the gem continued to grow brighter and lifted of the table.

The light shifted around it, forming multiple shapes before committing to one. It started out fairly small with no clear definition, and eventually formed what Ellie recognized as a body. She tripped backwards over the shoes she had discarded the night before, landing on her ass as she watched the spectacle. After a few moments, it solidified, and Ellie found herself facing, as far as she could tell, a woman.

"Uhm… Hi?"

* * *

Peridot's eyes narrowed as the human's greetings reached. She was disoriented, a strange feeling for any gem, and she was clueless as to where she had landed. She barely noticed the human scramble to stand.

"You! Human! Where am I?"

The human seemed nervous, she noted, but answered fairly quickly. "Ontario, Canada. Not too far from Pembroke."

Peridot pulled up her screen hand, frantically typing a message. It took her a moment to send it before she let out a frustrated noise. It wouldn't send. She focused her gem, her plan to amplify the signal. Her gem sparked and she cried out in pain. Panic flooded her as she realized her gem was cracked. She returned her screen to her hand only to hold it up to her gem.

She stared the human down. "What happened? Where's my escape pod?"

The human stepped back. Her body language read guarded and ready to run, Peridot realized. She was taller than Peridot by a good few inches and had darker skin, vaguely reminiscent of a gem named axinite. Her eyes were a sharp, ocean blue, with bags beneath them, showing recent exhaustion. Her hair was curly and a bit wild. Peridot wondered how civilized this human actually was. "Last night, it crashed down about a half mile from here. It's in shreds though. I can show you where."

"How did I get here?" Static, like that of a television without a signal, flashed over Peridot's eyes, but her gem twinged with pain at the same time.

The human gulped. "I found, uhm..." She gestured to Peridot's gem.

"My gem," Peridot filled in, anger thick in her voice.

The human nodded. "I didn't know that what I was picking up was, well, you. I carried your gem here, I guess is what I'm trying to say…"

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Peridot asked, gesturing to the small crack in her gem.

The human shook her head vigorously. "No! I found it that way!"

Peridot's gaze faltered and she brought her screen up again, desperate to see a "message sent" notification. It only read "ERROR" and complained at a lack of signal. She let out a frustrated noise before looking back at the human. "You. Do you have any sort of signal enhancer or similar?"

"Any service out here is pretty shitty. My cell phone doesn't get signal and where I tend to call is only a few miles away. There's no luck for farther than that." The human rubbed the back of her neck with a hand. "Do... Do you have a name, by the way?"

Peridot blinked. "I am Peridot."

"Is that what your gem is?"

"I am my gem."

"Are you the only... one like you on earth? Because, from what I know, we don't have any... anyone like you on earth." Ellie felt nervous. She had a strange... woman(?) in her home who obviously needed some sort of help getting back... wherever. Was it worth trying to help her? Or would it be Men in Black with Ellie ending up devoured and her skin being worn by this other worldly visitor to earth? She was really hoping not, on the skin stealing bit.

Peridot examined Ellie. Her facial expression still read nervous, but she had yet to turn hostile. Either way, it was unlikely a human could over power a gem, even a cracked one.

"There are others similar to me, but they would not help me. They are traitors to my kind."

"What is your kind?"

"Gems." She projected out a generic gem cut, but it was transparent, not nearly as strong as it should've been. "We have physical forms based on properties of the gems we are." The gem shrank as a humanoid figure surrounded it, centering the gem on the figure. Peridot stopped the projection.

"Is there any reason you were in your gem when I found you?" Ellie's expression was much more curiosity now, Peridot noticed. It was on the brink of annoying.

"A bad enough injury to a physical body causes the form to revert into the gem until it can reform later. Now enough with the questions," she answered in an agitated voice. "I have to find how I can get a message to the homeworld. I have to get home."

Ellie watched as Peridot, somewhat frantically, brought up her screen again.

"Maybe I can help?" Ellie spoke up suddenly. "Would you be able to make an enhancer, or whatever you need if I gave you some parts?"

Peridot weighed her options. She was alone, stuck in someplace called Canada, with no way to contact any gem, even the ally she brought to the planet (not that it was a pleasant idea to contact Jasper). She had only the timidly offered help of the human who found her. She'd been on other planets before, but never with life that has any sort of sentience. Humans, she'd already learned, were odd. There was that Steven in the kindergarten, and on the beach, who had somehow managed to get five gems on his side in what seemed to be a considerably small amount of time. Though, arguably, one of those gems was grown on earth and another was an outdated model. And Steven had also somehow come into the possession of Rose Quarts' gem, the biggest war criminal the Homeworld knew of. Peridot didn't want to think about that.

Peridot's thoughts turned to the human. From what Peridot had learned of human body language, this one seemed trustworthy enough. There were no obvious tells that could suggest that the human wanted to harm her. The human- based on her information of the human race- appeared to be what humans dictated as female. It was shaky ground for Peridot, as she didn't quite understand the concept of "gender". How could a being be placed in a notion of pre-conceived ideas on what one's body looked like? Especially when their knowledge of the human race hadn't been updated for some time. The role of a "female" changed in each society, though it was known that mostly as a person who could grow and carry the young, but not in all cultures. There were cultures she had seen where gender wasn't something followed strictly, and there were mainly feminine and masculine peoples. All in all, she found it ridiculous. Homeworld had no such thing as gender, and it was only after earth that "she" and "her" had become a popular pronoun that came with no sort of "gender" attached, simply what most gems had taken on - by accident, in most cases - do to their bodies fitting in what humans had found to be feminine forms. Humans had started a whole new fashion of body types on the homeworld. Peridot had even been swayed a bit by that. She would admit, though not readily, that the human feminine form was aesthetically pleasing.

That aside, Peridot was unsure what exactly to make of this human, whatever "gender" they were.

Unfortunately, she had little choice. Trusting a human to help was the last of her problems.

"Why would you offer assistance, human?" she asked warily.

The human shrugged. "You're far from home- I'm guessing - and are alone- another guess. But someone should help you." She gave an uneasy smile. "And my name is Ellie, by the way."

"You have parts at your disposal I could use to make a signal enhancer?"

"Well, sort of? I've got a few things I don't use anymore that you can dismantle and use whatever you'd like from. A broken laptop, an old television complete with antenna... oh, and a broken washing machine. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten rid of them, but if they can help, you can have them."

"They will have to do."

"Uh, this way then," Ellie replied and gestured to the pantry door. "Just follow me." She entered the pantry, pulling the cord to turn on the light. "They're down here." She opened the second door, showing only darkness behind it. Ellie went down without hesitation, but Peridot hesitated. Could she risk going down with no real prior knowledge? After a few seconds, light poured out of the door. "Coming down?" came Ellie's voice.

Cautiously, Peridot peered down the steps. The floor was simple concrete at the end of wooden stairs. There was a small carpet in the center of the room and a pile of boxes off to the side, mostly covering a desk and a large white machine. She followed Ellie down the stairs, deciding that perhaps she wouldn't be ambushed, and watched as the human pulled a box out from a small pile. From it, she dug out a large slab-like object that was a dull gray colour. Looking around, she seemed to spot a desk that was under some of the other boxes. She paused before returning the gray slab to the box and began to move the boxes off the desk. Once finished, she moved the desk to the center of the room and retrieved the gray slab and placed it on top. After that, she disappeared into the adjacent room before returning carrying a large, obviously heavy monitor-like object and placing it beside the desk. Peridot watched, fascinated. This human may not have been small, but she was still doing this all alone- Peridot wasn't sure if it would be rude or not to help, as the human customs she had briefly researched seemed incredibly contradictory. But the simple way Ellie seemed to be used to doing things alone.

Peridot thought it was odd humans would leave their own to fend for themselves.

Ellie moved to clear the boxes off of the machine. Once she was done, she looked at Peridot.

"Oh, well... You can use any of these three for parts." She gestured to the slab, the monitor, and then the large white machine. "And, uh, oh!" She disappeared into the side room once more, returning with a large box. "I've got a pretty good toolbox, too."

Peridot nodded. "Very well."

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck. "Alrighty. I'll be upstairs, if you need any help… And if you do contact them, could you warn me before a ship shows up outside my house?"

"Sounds like a reasonable request," Peridot spoke evenly. Ellie nodded and then disappeared up the stairs. Peridot turned to her new work station. It was time to get to work.

* * *

**So I apologize if the writing style seems to vary, but I'm trying to put a lot of effort into this one. That means sometimes I can do it well, other times I can only do it well enough.**

**But hey, I'm trying.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	2. Music

**Greetings! I've brought chapter two to you. I also bring the information that I can be found on tumblr as Weskette. I'm a lot more likely to answer questions about this fic there, so you know.**

**I introduce another character in this too! She's my favourite OC, actually. And one of Ellie's closest friends.**

* * *

Ellie yawned. The clock showed a quarter past seven. She had to be at work in a little over an hour. She frowned, cursing the fact mornings existed, before standing from her chair. She went for the cereal on top of the fridge, but stopped upon glancing at the open pantry door.

Peridot.

A sigh left her as she headed for the door. She had checked on her before going to bed the previous night to tell her she could sleep on the couch when she got tired, only to be given a fairly rude "gems don't sleep".

"Peridot?"

The gem was surrounded by different pieces that had been stripped from the items provided. Immediately before her was an amalgam of what she had found useful or relevant so far.

"Yes?"

"I just came down to check on you. Did you want anything to eat?"

"Gems don't need to eat."

Ellie made a face. "If you say so... I have to leave for work soon, so you know. I'll leave my cellphone number on the table so call if you need anything. I'll put my house phone with it."

Peridot didn't reply.

"I'll be home around six..."

Returning upstairs, Ellie had no idea how she might survive an alien house guest.

* * *

"Hey, Ellie."

Ellie looked up from her desk to see Jaya, a good friend of hers as well as coworker, standing in the doorway. She was six foot two, nearly eight inches taller than Ellie, and had skin only a few shades lighter due to her parents being from India. Her hair was long, but french braided to keep it out of her way. Her makeup was flawless, as usual, and made her green eyes pop. But most importantly, she held two coffees. "What's up, Jaya?"

"Came to see how your weekend was. And I brought you a coffee."

Ellie smiled. "Have I ever mentioned how I love you?"

"Maybe, but I don't get tired of hearing it." She shrugged and entered Ellie's small office. She set Ellie's coffee to the side before grabbing the small stool that had been pushed to the side to sit on. "So how was your weekend?"

"Crazy. I think I'm going insane, honestly. And I have a temporary roommate at the moment. So there is that."

"Slow down, Tiny. And fill in the blanks."

Ellie let out a huff. "I am not tiny, you're just a giant." She took a swig of coffee, rubbed her hand over her face, and picked her pen up again. "In short, my life is a mess." Knowing Jaya would want the full story, Ellie started. "You know how it's hard for me to sleep some nights?"

She spent the next two hours, including interruptions, explaining her predicament with Peridot. It took some effort as she continued her sketches for work while talking, and it was hard for her to talk without her hands.

At the end, Jaya simply stared at her. "I... If I didn't trust you completely, I wouldn't believe you, but..." She took a deep breath and sighed. "So... Are you okay? Any sane person would be freaking out right now."

A shrug. "I guess? I mean, at first I thought it was a dream. I have crazy dreams all the time. But now that it's real, I guess it's just nice to have a change of pace. I'm helping someone get home, y'know? It'll be worth it in the end."

"I have no idea how you keep so calm all the time. Especially when you have a fucking alien in your basement."

Ellie looked up at Jaya. "It's kinda pointless to freak out if it's already out of my control. And like I said. She needs help. I don't mind helping someone in need."

"If you say so. Just tell me if you need help tossing her out."

"Yeah yeah, I will."

Another sigh escaped Jaya."It's just about time for your lunch, right? Let's go get something to eat."

Ellie pursed her lips. "Okay. But you're driving, because my car is gonna fall apart sometime soon."

"Then shouldn't you buy a new one? You know, so you can continue being able to get from your house to work and back? I mean, you don't go anywhere else so..." Jaya raised her eyebrows and gave a bland look to Ellie.

"Yeah yeah, I get it, I haven't been out with friends lately. I'll try to go soon." She huffed once more and stood. "It's not like I never go out."

"Uh, lately, that's not true."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Aren't we supposed to be going out for food right now?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the fun one?"

"Whatever. Just come on. I've got to finish two more backgrounds after this one is done." She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on, walking past Jaya to the door. "How 'bout pizza? From the little place down the street."

Jaya sighed. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Ellie walked back into her house as the last of the sunlight was waning. She was a bit tired, but that was fairly normal for her.

Surprisingly enough, Peridot was seated at the kitchen table. Her fingers had turned into the screen again and she was busy with some sort of schematic.

"Hey, Peridot," Ellie greeted as she collapsed onto the couch and switched the television on.

Peridot looked over and closed her hand screen. She stood and moved to look at the television. "Is this where you receive video messages from your superiors?"

Ellie arched an eyebrow. "Uh, no. This is for entertainment. There are different shows and so on that people watch."

"Is there any benefit?"

A shrug from Ellie. "Pleasing the masses? It is a way of control too, but subconsciously. If you tune out enough."

Peridot gave one more curious look at the television. She then turned to Ellie. "I require assistance, if you're able."

Ellie nodded and sat up, intending to stand. "What do you need to help with?"

"I need something held while I fix it into place."

"That I can do."

Ellie followed Peridot down into the basement where there was a large difference between how it had been that morning. Pieces were organized with exact precision and lay only to the left. A device sat on the desk beside what seemed to be a sort of extension beside it.

Peridot motioned her forward. She picked up the extension and held it center to the device. "Hold this here," she ordered. "But first..." She picked up work gloves she had taken from the tool box and handed them to Ellie. "Put those on. The minimal research I have done on humans suggests they are susceptable to high temperatures. Those will protect your hands while I attach this."

Ellie nodded, wondering how dangerous helping would be. "Okay." She slipped the gloves on, somewhat confused, but held the piece where Peridot had asked.

Peridot took a finger from her left hand and held it in her right. She seemed to turn the base of it before a small flame emitted from the tip, blue in colour. Ellie watched as she welded the extension to the base with slow, precise movements.

After a few moments, Peridot turned the device off. "Thank you."

"Need anything else?"

"I don't."

"I'll be upstairs if you need me."

* * *

Peridot watched Ellie go back upstairs. Humans still confused her. This odd sort of selflessness Ellie was displaying unnerved Peridot. Ellie had helped her without hesitation and continued to do so. Everyone she had ever met had wanted something in return, but Ellie had yet to ask for anything further than warning about imminent arrival- which would have been provided regardless.

Peridot turned back to her device and opened her screen hand. She scanned it before establishing a connection with it and working from there.

Her mind wandered back to Ellie. She realized that she had yet to ask if Ellie was in fact female. Peridot hated to work off assumptions when fact could be so easily found. She would ask, Peridot decided. Information, valuable or not, was always good to collect. A better understanding of humans would be beneficial, she reasoned, as more knowledge on the subject could help the gems take earth as intended.

Peridot bent and turned the device, wondering what else she could do to enhance the signal. It wasn't currently functional, but she was sure she could get it working in the proper channel with another few hours of work.

A noise drifted down from upstairs, light and upbeat. She could tell there was a voice involved, singing. Music. Ellie was playing music upstairs. It was far different from anything Peridot knew of on the homeworld, but it wasn't unpleasant. Like many times in PEridot's life, she grew curious. So she headed up the stairs.

The music grew louder as she went up the steps. She could discern the voice now. There was one that seemed to be fit in with the music, but she heard Ellie's voice right along with it. "But I like to keep some things to myself; I like to keep my issues drawn. It's always darkest before the dawn." Her voice continued on as Peridot opened the door allowing her into the pantry.

Ellie was in the kitchen, working with food over a heat source. She noticed Peridot almost immediately and cut off in her singing. "Oh, hey. Need anymore help?"

"No," Peridot stated matter-of-fact way. "I was just curious about the music."

"Is it too loud? I can turn it down." Ellie gestured to a device on the end of the counter.

Peridot examined to briefly. It had speakers on either side of it with a center piece attached to a slim object in the center. "It's fine. I find it pleasant."

* * *

"Do you have music on your planet?"

"We do, but none like this. Not that I've found, anyway. Are there many types of music on this planet?"

Ellie laughed a bit and rubbed the back of her neck. "Many is kind of an understatement. There are a lot of genres and sub-genres for music."

"What's this one?"

"Well, it's Shake it Off by Florence and the Machine, but as for the genre, I think it's indie? I've always been bad at naming the genres." Ellie shrugged. "I just kinda listen to whatever I like."

"Your player seems archaic, but the music is nice."

Peridot missed Ellie rolling her eyes at the comment as she returned to cooking. When Peridot didn't return downstairs after the song ended and a new one started, Ellie glanced back. Peridot seemed to be examining her with a look of confusion on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Ellie asked.

"I'm unfamiliar with what humans call gender. What little information I was given on humans seems to be contradictory. But you are female, yes?"

It was probably one of the last questions Ellie had been expecting. "Yup," she answered, nonchalant. Maybe she should've expected. Peridot was an alien, after all. "And depending where you are on earth, the concept of gender can change. I can explain how it is around here, if you want."

"I would like an explantion, but for now I need to return to my work. Would you mind if I left the door open so I can hear the music?"

"Go ahead. Just tell me if any songs bug you, and I'll change them."

Peridot nodded and returned to the basement.

* * *

"Hey, Tiny."

"Morning, Jaya." Ellie yawned and walked past her friend to the break room fridge. "And I'm still not tiny."

"Yeah, too bad, it's already your nickname."

"If anyone else calls me it, I'm going to injure them severly." She tossed her bag lunch into the fridge and closed it before turning towards Jaya. After a quick glance at the clock, she decided to sit beside Jaya at the break room table.

Jaya gave her a pout. "But not me, right?"

"No, because you're my best friend and I tolerate you more than others." Ellie ran a hand over her face. "Do you ever work, by the way? I mean, you were in my office for hours yesterday."

"Not much to do when you love your work and do it at home too." Jaya shrugged. "I'm all caught up. I've been helping a few of the others."

"Well then."

"It's not important though. What is important..." Jaya's fierce green eyes met the ocean blues of Ellie's. "Lucia, Ish, and I are going to go see a movie this weekend. You should come along."

"What movie?"

"We were gonna pick when we get there." She tapped her fingers on the table. "There a few good ones that have come out recently. I wanna see the alien one. You in?"

"Oh, uh, I'll meet you there."

A frown appeared on Jaya's face. "You're not going?"

Ellie switched to avoiding Jaya's gaze. "If Peridot is gone by then, I'll think about it, but I don't think I should leave her alone for too long. I mean, she's in a strange place-"

"She's in your basement."

"- and she doesn't know much about here-"

"She's leaving soon, she doesn't need to."

"- and no one should be alone when something like that happens."

Jaya sighed. "She's going to be leaving soon. Leave your house phone near her and tell her to call if she needs anything. You haven't been out in forever."

Ellie shook her head. "I don't like leaving people alone when they aren't familiar with their surroundings. You know that... I mean, it's terrifying to be in a situation like that. Even if Peridot doesn't think that way, I do, and I don't want to leave her alone. Work is one thing, but..." She rubbed a hand over her face. "Maybe she'll be done with her device soon and will leave before the week is up. I'll try to go if she does."

Jaya bit her lip, and gave a sad look at Ellie. "We all miss seeing you, you know."

"I know... I promise, I'll go out as soon as I can."

"I'm not stopping Lucia from calling you to yell."

Ellie sighed. "Fair enough."

* * *

There was a crash. Peridot grumbled as she looked down at the partially mangled metal before her. With a sigh, she lifted it back up and sat beside it. It was still perfectly usable, but now required more work. She groaned in frustration before removing her visor and tracing a finger down her gem. The crack hadn't widened, thank the stars, but it still kept her from doing anything more than the most basic tasks. Small transformation, changes in outfit, and very limited heat generation. She had been lucky her "welding" had been affective.

"Peridot, are you okay?

Peridot jumped. She glanced back, finding Ellie standing at the top of the stairs. "I'm fine. I apologize for waking you from your reseting cycle." She turned back to her dented device. "I simply dropped something."

"It's fine, I wasn't sleeping. It's hard to sometimes." Ellie walked down the stairs, but she stood well back from Peridot. "So is it going well?"

Peridot shrugged. "I won't be sure until I can test it. And with older technology, there's more to do."

"Is there anything that might help that I might find you?" Ellie tilted her head as she walked a bit closer.

Another shrug from Peridot. "Not that I know of." Curious, she glanced over at Ellie. "Humans typically sleep at night, don't they? But you said you weren't. Do you differ from the statistics gathered on humans?"

Ellie couldn't help but chuckle. "Some nights, yeah. I get nightmares sometimes, and wake up."

"Night-mares?"

Biting her lip, Ellie wondered how to explain it. "Sometimes I forget you don't sleep... Uhm... When humans sleep, we have little control of our brain and sometimes see images and more that don't really make much sense." She tapped the side of her head. "We call it dreaming. But when those images scare us or worse, we call them nightmares. Like I could dream I was flying, but I might have a nightmare that someone is trying to kill me."

Peridot blinked. "But if it's only images, why would it frighten you?"

"Well..." Ellie thought a moment. "Can you think of anything or anyone that frightens you?" A nod from Peridot. "If you picture whatever or whoever coming here, it makes you uneasy, doesn't it?"

Peridot conceded. "I see your point. But I still find humans strange."

"Fair enough. You're pretty strange yourself."

Peridot let out a huff, causing Ellie to chuckle. Moving over to one of the boxes she had cleared off the washing machine, Ellie sat. She crossed her legs and watched Peridot work for a short time. "So... Why are the other gems on earth traitors?"

Peridot looked up, surprised.

"You mentioned it before. The day you first came out of your gem."

Silence met the question that still hung in the air. If was only after a few moments and a heavy sigh, Peridot answered. "I never saw the wars. I only know that the gems that are here- only five of them - killed many. I don't understand what they claim to be protecting, but I'm sure they would... deal with me as I'm sure they did Jasper."

"Jasper?"

"The escort I had bring me here when I discovered the "crystal gems" as they call themselves. Much larger than I am and much more violent. Jasper was supposed to protect me and deal with the traitors. It went poorly." Peridot was holding a lot back. She knew it, and she was sure Ellie knew too. But to tell the human helping her that humans were below gems, that earth was there for The Diamonds to use even if the planet wouldn't survive. Ellie couldn't hear that, not when Peridot required her help. It wasn't wise to hurt the one who helped.

"No chance they'd help you?"

Peridot shook her head. "They would not."

"Hm."

Ellie wasn't down there much longer. A few minutes later, she bid Peridot a goodnight and went back upstairs.

Peridot watched her leave, wondering to herself what about humans had made Rose Quartz give up everything.

* * *

**Ah yes, Peridot, my lovely favourite character who's completely brainwashed by propaganda the Diamonds are sure to have everywhere on the Homeworld.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**(#freelapis2k15)**

**Thank you for reading!**


	3. The Rubber Duck

**Okay, hey, everyone. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a bit, but I've been struggling a bit with my mental health, and I try not to write when I'm especially depressed. It doesn't benefit my writing. It fluctuates often. But I'm trying, so hopefully this story will progress as planned. I even have a related story planned.**

**Something important will be brought up at the bottom, at the end of the chapter.**

**Also, some information I included last chapter is now out of date. My tumblr is now Narcissisticpeacock.**

* * *

Peridot had her hand screen out, numbers covering the entire thing. She scrolled through an extensive mathematical problem that she had been working on for hours. Well, not hours. She had solved it in the first four minutes, but upon reaching an answer she knew was true but wasn't what she wanted, she had gone through the problem again. After three times, she had decided she needed to find the correct input to get what she needed. It was no more satisfying.

Human technology was infuriating. Half of the wiring seemed completely redundant and there was an incredible amount of completely pointless pieces involved. With half of what came from the "laptop", she could make a fully functional hologram set up that could run smoother and cleaner than any human set up.

With an angry sigh, she closed the screen and glared at her device. She hated how little progress she had truly made since assembling it. It ran, but not nearly strong enough. She lifted it off the desk and headed upstairs.

She wasn't sure if Ellie had arrived home yet. As she neared the top of the stairs, there was no sound of music or the television, so Peridot assumed that Ellie had yet to get home.

She made her way out of the pantry and right out of the house. Sitting her device on the deck, she stepped back. She needed it to work. Her supplies had been archaic but she had made something that she was desperate to have work. If it did, she could be back on homeworld and having her gem fixed in less than a week. It was her only chance for survival. She glared at it, daring it to defy her as she opened her screen.

There was a noise, an older machine straining to keep moving. Peridot glanced over to see Ellie climbing out of a large four wheeled machine. "Hey, Peridot," Ellie greeted. "Got it working?"

"Yes, but not to the caliber I need. Your house does more to hinder the signal than anything else."

Ellie nodded. "Yeah, does the same to my cellphone too." She watched as Peridot made some frantic marks on her screen. "I'll be inside if you need me."

Peridot nodded and continued to fiddle with her device. She gritted her teeth, frustration digging into every bit of her. It absolutely refused to turn out the results she needed. With the current strength of its broadcast, it'd take too long to reach the nearest gem controlled planet. Regardless, she kept trying, hoping to receive the "Distress Beacon received" message from another gem, and a promise for retrieval. But there was nothing. In a sudden burst of anger and frustration, she hit out at the machine. There was a loud bang as she dented the large metal piece Ellie had helped her attach. She hissed at the light pain in her forearm before forgetting it entirely. Now she only stared at her –now hurt—device with forced apathy.

Ellie burst back out the door, worry etched on her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Peridot scowled at her device. "I got frustrated, I'm fine."

"Oh, uh… okay." Ellie bit her lip. "Any… Any reason? I'll listen, if you need to rant."

"I don't need to rant. I need to work."

Ellie shoved her hands in her pockets and gave Peridot a sheepish shrug. "It'll make you feel better."

"I hardly think excessively talking will calm me in any way." She clenched her right hand and opened a screen again with her left.

"Come on, just try it. When humans code things, some of them have rubber ducks that they talk to so they can figure out what's wrong. I can be your rubber duck."

"And what, by Diamond, is a rubber duck?"

"A little duck made out of rubber."

Peridot stared blankly at Ellie. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

A sigh left Ellie. "Basically, I probably won't understand much of what you say, but you can still talk, because I'll listen and it can help you figure things out. If all else fails, I'll make you a cup of tea. Or we can do both."

Peridot shook her head. "I need to keep working."

* * *

Ellie sighed and shrugged. "If you want to rant, just come inside." She turned away and went back inside listening to the long string of what she guessed were curse words leave Peridot's mouth. It faded out as Ellie went to the kitchen, grabbing her kettle and putting it on the stove. She heard another bang on the machine, but ignored it. Taking out two mugs, she placed them on the counter next to the stove. Just as the tea finished brewing, the front door opened.

Peridot looked over at her, a very frustrated look on her face. Ellie motioned her over. "Sit at the table. Start talking."

Peridot, surprisingly enough, listened. She practically collapsed in the seat. "I hate this technology." Ellie poured tea into the two mugs. "Nothing seems to respond as it should, no matter what I do." Ellie took a mug in each hand and turned towards the table. "If anything, the dent I made improved it. That shouldn't happen!" Ellie placed a mug of tea right in front of Peridot and sat across from her with the other. Peridot's words failed as she looked down at the cup. "... What is this?"

"Tea. Try it. It'll help you de-stress."

"Gems don't need to eat."

"That doesn't stop you, does it?" Peridot was silent. "Listen, if you're body is really just formed around your gem, I doubt some tea could hurt you."

"I can consume nearly anything, but I don't need to. Why would I have tea?" Peridot grumbled.

"I told you, it helps you relax." She took a sip before gesturing to Peridot's mug. "Just try it. It's siberian ginseng."

* * *

Peridot hesitated. Why should she try it? She was a gem, she didn't need such nutrients. But it was a tempting prospect to let some stress ease out. But wasn't that the point of talking to Ellie? That was why Peridot had come inside. Just talking had a possibility to get rid of some stress. Then again, Peridot reasoned, if consuming tea would help, then couldn't even more stress be taken away?

Resolutely, she took a sip. It wasn't the first time that Peridot had actually eaten something, but it was her first experience with anything with taste. It was bitter at first, but a second sip proved it okay. The only real issue she had was the mug didn't quite fit in her hands right. She hypothesized the issue was with her lack of palms. For a moment, she considered transforming her hands to help, but came to the conclusion it would be a waste. It was one cup of tea, and it was highly unlikely she would ever have another. Her hands stayed how they were.

"So what's going wrong with your machine?"

Peridot sighed. "I can assign it to the right channel, but it's useless. About every one thousand and five hundred years, they change the frequency used. More often than that in times of war. I have sent a distress call, but with the machine's ability it won't reach them for nearly three thousand years." She opened her screen again. After a few seconds, she closed it again. "It's utterly pointless. I'm sure to be discovered by then, and they won't be able to receive the transmission by then anyway." Peridot's expression was some mix of sorrow and hopelessness. "I won't be able to get home this way."

Ellie gave her a sympathetic look. It was one of the first times she saw real emotion in Peridot. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Peridot shook her head. "I doubt it. Humans aren't at the level of modern gem tech. My best chance would be some of the ancient gem technology here on earth, but I'd likely be captured that way." She shrugged. "My only hope is an attempt to improve this machine."

Ellie bit her lip. "I can see about getting you more parts. I'll ask some friends."

Peridot stared at her tea. Her face was emotionless. "That would be appreciated... I realize you have no reason to help me, but I'm grateful that you have."

* * *

Ellie was startled at the confession. "Oh, uh, you're welcome!" She gave a sheepish grin. "It's kinda weird getting thanked by an alien."

Peridot avoided Ellie's gaze. "Gems have manners. It's simply coincidence that some of those manners are also accepted on earth."

A shrug from Ellie. "Still." She drank from her cup. "But did you have any questions for me, while you take a break? I'll answer anything I can."

Peridot hesitated. "I suppose if you'd like to explain the whole gender concept you humans have? I have thought about it some, but don't quite understand it."

"Oh!" Ellie nodded. "Of course. Uhm, give me a moment. It's more complicated than it should be." She gave a determined huff, she started. It took her a bit to thoroughly explain it. She started with the most common, cisgender, and moved out from there. She included all that she knew of, doing her best to explain them well. "That's what I know. But it's different for everyone. And it's not related at all to biological sex."

"Biological sex?"

Ellie chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I think maybe we can wait for me to explain that. It has to do with physical aspects that tend to be private." She shrugged. "If you're here too much longer, I can explain it, but there's really no reason to know."

Peridot, almost on reflex, opened her screen and redid the problem with a sigh. "I will most likely be here a large out of time."

"Hey, cheer up!" Ellie gave her a smile. "You're great with technology right? I'm certain you can do it. I'll get you some more parts and you'll be back home before you know it!" She tapped her fingers on the table. "Now, I'm guessing you're itching to get back to work."

Peridot gave her a confused look. "I don't itch, no."

With an exasperated sigh and a smirk, Ellie rolled her eyes. "It's an expression. It means you would very much like to, in the context I provided, get to work."

"Oh. Then yes."

"I thought so. Did you want me to put some music on? Or would you prefer the quiet?"

Peridot hesitated. She'd rather not get hooked on superfluous human entertainment, but at the same time, she enjoyed the music Ellie played. "I suppose music would be nice." After a moment, she added in, "Thank you."

"Any requests?"

"Whatever you played before will be fine." Peridot realized she had been drinking from the cup of tea without thinking when she glanced down and found her cup empty. She stood. "I need to move my machine back inside."

With that, Peridot was gone from the table.

Ellie sighed. "Back to work then."

* * *

Two days later, Peridot was back in the basement.

Peridot connected a few wires before sighing. Ellie had kept to her word and gotten her more to work with, but it was barely any help. She had cut a few years off the time in which the message would be sent, but not more than ten. Hopelessness had settled in her gut. At the rate she was going, there was no chance of returning to the homeworld. The Crystal Gems would find and turn her into a small pile of shards before her message reached allies. If that wasn't how she'd meet her end, she'd certainly meet it if more gems were sent to earth to check the status of the kindergarten. She would be assumed traitor upon being found. Any sentence less than shattering would be mercy… Even being used to power some sort of technology would be better.

If there was no way to contact the homeworld, there would be no way to get back. She already knew that the home warp was broken, she already knew the kindergarten's technology was powerless, if not destroyed. Her mind was betraying her with each new painful thought. That her silence could be taken as worse by the homeworld. That, if they didn't think her dead, they thought her a traitor.

She couldn't stop thinking about that.

It would take all she had to convince the Diamond Authority she was still loyal, should she be found before achieving contact with them. Despite telling herself this, she had a hard time believing it. The last gem allowed to return to the homeworld after crash landing on a rebel planet had betrayed them and cost Yellow Diamond one of her best strategists. The chance Peridot would be allowed back if she didn't continue to attempt contact was… Her only hope was in that they hadn't messaged the homeworld with news of who exactly the gems on earth were. Mention of Rose Quartz would most definitely get her shattered...

Her gem sparked.

Peridot cringed and held her hand to her gem. She realized she had been staring at her screen without moving for a solid ten minutes. She took in a stuttering breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, all she could see was her machine. Her non-functional machine...

She whirled around, finding a sudden need in herself to get away from it. She needed a break, she realized, such as the one Ellie had provided her a few days prior. And... What had it been called? Tea? To help get her mind off her troubles so she could refocus on her machine after.

She was up the stairs fairly quickly and within seconds she was standing in the kitchen.

* * *

Ellie was on the couch when Peridot suddenly burst through the pantry door. Ellie paused the video game she had been playing and let out a half nervous chuckle. "You okay, Peridot?"

The alien seemed uneasy at the very least, and panicked at the worst. "I…" she began. She took a breath and like that, her voice was suddenly steady and practically monotone. "I was wondering if I might have a cup of… tea, I believe you called it?"

A cautious smile appeared on Ellie's face. "Of course. I can even teach you to make it. That way if I'm not home, you can still get some." She placed her controller to the side and stood. She stretched her arms up and yawned. She then headed for the stove. She motioned Peridot closer as she grabbed her tea kettle. "First you have to boil the water in here." After a few moments of silence, Ellie glanced over at Peridot.

"So… Are you alright?" she inquired. "You seem a bit anxious."

Peridot hesitated. When she finally did answer, she simply denied the suggestion. "I'm fine. I just needed to clear my head so I can work more efficiently."

A nod from Ellie. "Fair enough." She began to hum between statements as she opened the cupboards. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing well. My foster sister has anxiety and I thought I saw some of the same… symptoms, I guess, in you. The tea is up here, by the way. I have a lot of different types." She gestured up to the cupboard. "Did you want Siberian ginseng again, or something new?"

Peridot shrugged. "… Whatever you choose is fine."

"Passion flower, then." She pulled a mug from a separate cupboard. "Cups are here." Ellie continued to hum as she made the tea for her guest, commenting from time to time with information on the tea and the best way to make it. Once it was finished, she handed the mug to Peridot. "You can bring it downstairs. Or stay up here, if you'd like. Your choice." She gave Peridot a smile before returning to the couch.

* * *

Once again, Peridot hesitated. She could go downstairs. It seemed the smarter option. She could work and have the tea. But at the same time, she was afraid to be alone. Her thoughts could overwhelm her, and even that single spark had been painful enough for her to _want_ time with her host. Most times, she felt more that the human was simply necessary, however kind she was. But in that moment, she felt she'd do better with company.

She took a sip of her tea and turned towards the couch. Ellie had some sort of control in her hands and was facing the television with it. The cat that Peridot had seen about the house had just jumped up onto the couch and taken a spot beside Ellie.

Peridot hovered at the edge of the living room. She watched what was happening on the screen for a moment. The view was moving about, moving to a cube and picking it up before setting it on a large red button.

"What are you doing?" Peridot questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hm? Oh, I'm playing a video game. It's a way to relax for me, really. This one is a puzzle game. Portal." Ellie patted the open spot on the other side of the cat. "You can come sit if you'd like."

Peridot did as suggested, but kept her distance from the cat. "So… it's simply an artificial set of movements on videos that you control through the interface you're using?"

"I suppose. I like this one because the main antagonist is—" She cut off as music began to play from her phone.

_"He rides across the nation, the thoroughbred of sin. He got the application—"_

Ellie seemed surprised and grabbed for it. Her controller clattered on the floor. "Crap, Lucia…" She murmured sorry to Peridot before answering. "Hello?"

Peridot tried to ignore the sudden volume of the voice on the other side of the device. But it wasn't like she could block out Ellie's voice. She heard half of the conversation as it want, but tried to focus on her tea.

Ellie sighed. "Yeah, Luce, I just…" A huff. "I didn't feel like going out." The voice on the other end got louder, but Peridot couldn't make any of it out. "Yeah, I know I haven't gone out in a while. Soon, okay? I promise. We can go to that club you like." More from the other side. "Luce, you know I can't understand you when you speak Spanish that fast."

Ellie seemed agitated, Peridot noted. She wondered if that was common when talking to the person on the other side. There was no anger in Ellie's voice, though.

"No sé. No. I…" Another sigh. "Sooner? How about lunch then? Wednesday? My lunch starts at one on most days."

Peridot stared into her tea. Humans were odd. There was no set work for any general type, as far as she could tell, but she had only met one human. Part of her wanted to learn more while she had a chance. Her rational side, though, told her to keep working. That's what she was made for. And even this small diversion should not have happened. She ignored that part of her for the moment.

"Jaya and Ish are going, though, right?" A pause. "Ish didn't want to? That's surprising. He usually goes everywhere Jaya does." Ellie scooped her controller off the floor and set it in her lap. "Don't ask me, ask her… I'm practically positive she does." Ellie mouthed another sorry to Peridot. For not interacting, Peridot assumed. "Test the waters then, Luce. I can't give you more advice than that…. Okay. Enjoy your movie then. Mhm. Okay. Wednesday, yup…. Te amo. Bye." With another sigh, Ellie set the phone aside. She then turned to Peridot. "Sorry. It was my foster sister. Had to yell at me for not going out tonight."

"Were you required to?"

"Lucia might say so. But no, I wasn't."

"Is Lucia your superior?"

Ellie chuckled and ran a hand through her all too curly hair. "She'd like to think so. But no, not really. We're equals, I guess. She's my foster sister. We were in the same foster home for a few years when we were growing up, until I got adopted, that is."

Peridot tilted her head. "Adopted? What do you mean?"

Ellie bit her lip and thought for a moment. "Uhm… How well do you know human, uhh… societal structures, I guess you could call them?"

A shrug from Peridot. "Gems have limited recent knowledge on such. I have mostly outdated information from a few thousand years ago. I recognized the word sister, though. Part of a… family structure, yes?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah. Sister is, typically, a female born to the same parents as another person. Brother is the male equivalent." She tapped her fingers on the controller in her lap. "When someone doesn't have parents for whatever reason, they can be given to a foster home to be raised. Optimistically, it's basically other adults who help the child grow. It's only a temporary home, though. But, the really lucky kids, like me, get adopted by new parents. New people who invest their time in making sure the child is loved and taken care of. A nice older couple adopted me when I was thirteen or so."

"Time is taken from many to raise the young? That seems counterproductive."

"How is it done for your people?"

"Most gems have base knowledge when leaving wherever they've been grown. They are then filtered by body type and ability to learn into separate groups to be mentored in mass quantities to function properly with society. It's very rare for a single gem to be trained alone. It's considered a waste." Peridot was holding back much of the information, but she doubted Ellie would be suspicious.

A frown found its way to Ellie's face. "That sounds fairly… Emotionless, in my opinion."

Peridot wasn't surprised at the interpretation. "Emotion stops progress. Lower class gems tend to be more susceptible to them, and are often more disposable."

A shudder ran through Ellie. "Disposable? I… Nevermind." Her look seemed almost sympathetic. "What class gem are you?"

Peridot opened her mouth to reply, but with the word "disposable" fresh on her mind as well as the look Ellie had just had on her face, she decided not to answer.

"It's your choice to share," Ellie concluded after a moment. "I'm fine either way."

Peridot refocused on her tea.

* * *

**Now to what I find important.**

**To the many people who fear romance in the story, think of this: I am going to write what I want to write. I am three chapters in and many of you have mentioned how you don't like the thought of Peridot with a human/involved romantically with an OC and... Why would you choose to read when I had "romance" in the genre? Give the story a chance before you complain, will you?**

**Related to above, I headcanon Peridot as asexual and demi-romantic. Maybe that will put some minds to rest? Hopefully. I'm too tired to read another "I'll follow this until the shipping starts" review. I am just... too tired, too exhausted, too... _everything_ for that. My writing means too much to me to stand those. I may sound especially passive aggressive, but I simply... It doesn't help.**

**Constructive criticism is fine, however. Tell me if I constantly spell something wrong. Bring it up if there are glaring errors or if the continuity is off. But "I don't like Peridot with an OC" is not constructive criticism. And not even relevant.**

**I took "romance" out of the genre, regardless.**

**Thanks to those that read and enjoy. I appreciate it.**


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